Percentage of elementary and secondary school children whose parents were involved in school activities, by selected child, parent, and school characteristics: 1999 and 2003

Child, parent, and school characteristic

Percent of children in 1999 whose parents1 report that they . . .

Percent of children in 2003 whose parents1 report that they . . .

Percentage distribution of children, by parental reports of number of times spent helping with homework per week, 20032

Attended a general school meeting

Attended parent-teacher conference

Attended a class event

Volunteered at school

Attended a general school meeting

Attended parent-teacher conference

Attended a class event

Volunteered at school

No help given

Less than once per week

1 to 2 days a week

3 to 4 days a week

5 or more days a week

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Total

78.3

(0.49)

72.8

(0.45)

65.4

(0.44)

36.8

(0.40)

87.7

(0.37)

77.1

(0.42)

69.9

(0.42)

41.8

(0.60)

4.9

(0.23)

24.6

(0.42)

33.9

(0.61)

25.2

(0.50)

11.4

(0.36)

Sex of child

Male

78.0

(0.62)

74.0

(0.60)

63.4

(0.62)

36.7

(0.65)

87.4

(0.49)

77.7

(0.63)

67.4

(0.75)

41.2

(0.87)

5.4

(0.36)

24.4

(0.58)

32.7

(0.74)

25.5

(0.69)

11.9

(0.49)

Female

78.6

(0.69)

71.5

(0.56)

67.4

(0.59)

37.0

(0.61)

87.9

(0.55)

76.5

(0.63)

72.6

(0.63)

42.4

(0.83)

4.4

(0.31)

24.8

(0.68)

35.1

(0.87)

24.9

(0.66)

10.8

(0.55)

Race/ethnicity of child

White

80.5

(0.54)

73.6

(0.48)

71.6

(0.53)

42.7

(0.51)

88.7

(0.51)

76.4

(0.62)

74.1

(0.65)

48.4

(0.82)

4.8

(0.34)

29.2

(0.63)

34.0

(0.75)

23.1

(0.60)

8.9

(0.39)

Black

74.5

(1.12)

71.1

(1.23)

53.8

(1.29)

26.2

(1.21)

88.7

(0.85)

78.7

(1.35)

63.3

(1.54)

32.0

(1.65)

4.2

(0.59)

16.2

(1.15)

33.4

(1.48)

29.4

(1.51)

16.7

(1.14)

Hispanic

73.1

(1.18)

71.0

(1.05)

51.5

(1.02)

24.5

(0.90)

82.6

(1.05)

78.1

(1.10)

60.9

(1.36)

27.7

(1.23)

5.8

(0.57)

16.0

(0.89)

35.8

(1.30)

27.5

(1.13)

14.9

(0.91)

Other

76.7

(2.00)

73.2

(1.94)

62.4

(2.01)

30.7

(1.94)

87.5

(1.63)

77.6

(2.25)

68.5

(2.32)

37.2

(2.16)

5.6

(1.06)

22.2

(1.99)

28.4

(1.99)

30.5

(2.67)

13.3

(1.56)

Highest education level of parents

Less than high school

57.4

(1.77)

60.0

(1.78)

37.8

(1.68)

12.9

(1.05)

69.8

(2.04)

67.8

(2.50)

42.4

(2.42)

15.6

(2.04)

9.4

(1.30)

16.9

(1.85)

40.6

(2.86)

21.0

(1.90)

12.1

(1.66)

High school/GED

72.7

(1.00)

69.7

(0.87)

58.7

(0.93)

26.0

(0.88)

83.8

(0.91)

75.4

(0.93)

62.1

(1.28)

30.3

(1.27)

5.8

(0.55)

21.8

(0.87)

33.8

(0.96)

26.7

(1.00)

11.9

(0.75)

Vocational/technical or some college

78.0

(1.04)

72.8

(0.97)

66.0

(1.05)

35.7

(1.07)

88.5

(0.67)

78.0

(1.02)

69.1

(0.93)

38.8

(1.26)

4.1

(0.41)

24.3

(0.82)

34.1

(1.12)

26.1

(0.87)

11.5

(0.62)

Associate's degree

81.7

(1.14)

75.8

(1.39)

68.7

(1.57)

41.5

(1.53)

88.6

(1.27)

76.6

(1.68)

73.0

(1.76)

39.7

(1.67)

[3]

(†)

[3]

(†)

[3]

(†)

[3]

(†)

[3]

(†)

Bachelor's degree

87.0

(0.73)

79.6

(0.84)

75.8

(0.93)

49.6

(1.10)

92.0

(0.75)

79.8

(0.89)

80.1

(0.95)

53.9

(1.29)

4.4

(0.54)

27.9

(1.15)

32.8

(1.20)

24.4

(1.03)

10.5

(0.75)

Graduate/professional degree

89.4

(0.70)

76.2

(1.09)

79.2

(0.98)

55.1

(1.21)

94.6

(0.74)

79.4

(0.99)

80.8

(1.09)

61.8

(1.57)

3.9

(0.50)

28.6

(1.11)

32.1

(1.15)

24.1

(1.08)

11.3

(0.91)

Family income

$5,000 or less

67.0

(2.83)

66.7

(3.14)

47.4

(2.87)

17.6

(2.09)

77.7

(2.84)

72.4

(4.15)

55.6

(3.91)

27.3

(4.09)

3.7

(1.23)

17.0

(3.35)

38.1

(4.10)

25.9

(3.27)

15.2

(2.72)

$5,001 to 10,000

66.8

(2.13)

67.6

(2.25)

50.7

(2.23)

23.3

(1.91)

79.3

(3.26)

75.7

(3.28)

59.9

(3.60)

30.4

(3.35)

5.3

(1.56)

19.2

(2.98)

32.9

(3.14)

29.9

(2.54)

12.8

(1.82)

$10,001 to 15,000

67.1

(1.64)

70.0

(1.62)

49.9

(2.15)

20.4

(1.40)

80.0

(2.41)

75.6

(2.35)

53.4

(2.99)

22.5

(2.44)

5.5

(1.03)

16.5

(2.21)

35.9

(2.63)

27.1

(2.30)

15.1

(1.99)

$15,001 to 20,000

71.1

(1.76)

70.4

(1.52)

55.1

(1.89)

25.3

(1.70)

81.1

(2.60)

74.2

(2.23)

57.5

(2.28)

25.6

(2.84)

5.5

(1.10)

19.2

(1.74)

37.4

(2.63)

22.6

(2.00)

15.4

(2.04)

$20,001 to 25,000

70.6

(1.90)

67.0

(1.62)

53.4

(1.76)

26.2

(1.63)

83.5

(1.64)

79.1

(1.89)

62.4

(1.99)

27.0

(2.39)

7.7

(1.31)

17.0

(1.80)

32.1

(2.26)

30.4

(2.26)

12.8

(1.26)

$25,001 to 30,000

74.3

(1.35)

71.6

(1.31)

59.1

(1.71)

30.9

(1.69)

85.7

(1.46)

75.9

(2.41)

64.2

(2.23)

33.8

(2.86)

4.1

(0.91)

19.1

(1.78)

38.2

(2.95)

25.9

(2.36)

12.8

(1.45)

$30,001 to 35,000

79.0

(1.60)

73.8

(1.72)

67.6

(1.69)

37.9

(1.84)

84.5

(1.59)

76.3

(1.94)

64.7

(2.32)

33.5

(2.51)

6.4

(1.20)

19.9

(1.85)

34.9

(2.14)

27.5

(2.12)

11.2

(1.46)

$35,001 to 40,000

79.4

(1.38)

73.7

(1.38)

68.4

(1.64)

36.1

(1.84)

83.4

(2.50)

74.7

(2.10)

70.9

(2.41)

37.3

(3.50)

3.6

(0.89)

22.8

(2.21)

32.5

(2.32)

27.6

(2.32)

13.4

(1.67)

$40,001 to 50,000

81.6

(1.07)

75.1

(1.13)

72.8

(1.25)

40.1

(1.26)

87.5

(1.18)

79.3

(1.42)

68.5

(2.11)

40.0

(1.89)

4.3

(0.79)

24.7

(1.62)

31.5

(1.75)

28.1

(1.85)

11.4

(1.15)

$50,001 to 75,000

84.6

(0.78)

74.8

(0.91)

72.6

(0.90)

43.8

(1.05)

89.9

(0.79)

76.9

(0.96)

74.5

(1.04)

46.0

(1.27)

5.0

(0.49)

27.2

(1.07)

34.3

(1.11)

23.5

(1.04)

10.0

(0.64)

Over $75,000

88.5

(0.68)

77.3

(0.74)

79.3

(0.80)

54.9

(1.02)

93.9

(0.57)

78.6

(0.89)

79.3

(0.73)

56.8

(1.01)

4.4

(0.41)

30.8

(0.96)

32.4

(0.96)

23.0

(0.80)

9.5

(0.57)

Child attending public schools

76.8

(0.54)

71.4

(0.50)

63.5

(0.48)

33.8

(0.41)

86.7

(0.40)

75.9

(0.45)

68.0

(0.47)

38.5

(0.64)

4.9

(0.24)

24.7

(0.46)

34.2

(0.64)

25.1

(0.51)

11.1

(0.37)

Elementary (kindergarten to grade 8)

81.7

(0.57)

80.9

(0.45)

66.9

(0.55)

38.1

(0.48)

90.9

(0.40)

85.1

(0.42)

71.7

(0.57)

42.8

(0.74)

1.6

(0.17)

16.5

(0.55)

34.7

(0.75)

32.4

(0.67)

14.8

(0.51)

Secondary (grades 9 to 12)

65.8

(0.99)

50.1

(1.10)

55.9

(0.97)

24.0

(0.77)

76.9

(1.06)

54.8

(1.02)

59.4

(1.06)

28.5

(0.98)

12.7

(0.64)

44.2

(0.92)

32.9

(0.97)

7.9

(0.51)

2.4

(0.34)

Child attending private schools

91.4

(0.80)

85.0

(0.95)

81.7

(1.09)

63.8

(1.35)

95.7

(0.61)

86.6

(1.03)

85.6

(1.23)

68.7

(1.57)

4.6

(0.89)

23.7

(1.58)

31.4

(1.54)

26.4

(1.78)

13.9

(1.05)

Elementary (kindergarten to grade 8)

93.0

(0.73)

90.2

(0.81)

84.2

(1.11)

68.8

(1.37)

96.6

(0.69)

91.6

(0.92)

88.4

(1.22)

73.4

(1.90)

1.5

(0.47)

17.5

(1.64)

29.9

(1.68)

33.0

(2.23)

18.1

(1.45)

Secondary (grades 9 to 12)

85.9

(2.09)

66.9

(2.74)

73.0

(2.62)

46.3

(3.23)

93.0

(1.56)

72.2

(2.54)

77.6

(2.93)

55.2

(2.78)

13.4

(2.66)

41.0

(3.23)

35.7

(3.41)

7.8

(1.68)

2.1

(0.78)

† Not applicable. 1 The respondent was the parent most knowledgeable about the child's education. Responding parents reported on their own and their spouse's, or other household adults', activities. 2 Excludes children who do not have homework and children who never do homework. 3 Included under vocational/technical or some college.
NOTE: Includes children enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12. Excludes homeschooled children. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education: 2002–03; and Parent Survey (Parent:1999) and Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey (PFI:2003) of the National Household Education Surveys Program, unpublished tabulations. (This table was prepared January 2006.)